The Brooks & District Junior A Hockey Association is happy to announce that, in partnership with Hockey Canada, it will be hosting a pre-tournament game for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge at the Centennial Regional Arena on October 31st.

The tournament is being held in Medicine Hat and Swift Current this year, with the best players under 17 years of age from three Canadian teams and five international entries competing for gold, and hoping to be identified for future World Junior teams. More than 1,700 players that have gone on to be drafted by NHL teams have competed at the event.

The two teams playing in Brooks have both medalled in recent years, with Sweden winning bronze last year in New Brunswick, and the Czech Republic having won bronze the year prior in Dawson Creek.

It will be the second international hockey game to take place at the CRA, and the first since 2011, when Latvia and Denmark played in a pre-tournament game for that year’s World Junior Hockey Championship.

Tickets are on sale now at tickets.brooksbandits.ca, and are priced the same as an AJHL regular season game, at $15 for adults and $7.50 for youth when bought online or in advance. Tickets at the door on game day will cost $17 for adults and $8.50 for youth.

Brooks Bandits season ticket holders have the first right to purchase their seats for the game, and can do so by logging into their accounts at tickets.brooksbandits.ca and browsing their offers.

Tickets can also be purchased at the Bandits’ office at the CRA, or over the phone at (403) 501-0122.